Breaking: Star forward reportedly on the verge of signing for $80 million.

My my how things can change in a heartbeat in the National Hockey League.

Just last night one of the best and most well respected insiders in the business, TSN's Darren Dreger, reported that Los Angeles Kings star Anze Kopitar and his team were almost at an impasse in contract negotiations, and free agency seemed like a real possibility.

However despite that report, it now seems like the Kings are close to coming to terms with Kopitar on a massive $80 million dollar contract that would secure his rights for the next 8 NHL seasons. It's unclear what has changed, but for a deal that large one must imagine the Kings likely gave in under the pressure of losing their star forward, although that is mere speculation.

While the deal is not yet official, we have good reason to believe it will be announced shortly.

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